In a rare sit-down interview, Meghan Markle shared her thoughts on the current state of journalism while promoting a nonprofit news organization that is focused on elevating underserved communities.
And with a highly anticipated biography the 39-year-old Duchess of Sussex has reportedly not consulted on, which was released on Aug. 11, Markle is not keen on tabloid-style media coverage, she told journalist Emily Ramshaw – the co-founder and CEO of The 19th News, a nonprofit newsroom.
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“I think what's so fascinating, at least from my standpoint and my personal experience in the past couple years, it's the headline alone, the clickbait alone makes an imprint,” Markle said in response to why she thinks a nonprofit news organization like The 19th should exist. “That is part of how we start to view the world, how we interact with other people. And I think there's so much toxicity out there in what is being referred to. “
“My husband and I talk about it often, this economy for attention, right. That is what is monetizable right now when you're looking at the digital space and media. And so if you're just trying to grab someone's attention and keep it you're going for something salacious versus something truthful,” she continued. “And I think that once we can get back to the place, which is what you're creating here, which is why I think it's so important, where people are just telling the truth and they're reporting and telling it through a compassionate or empathetic lens, it's going to help bind people as community in a way that I think [at] the moment we're feeling much more of a disconnect in a space where we could be feeling more of a connection.”
Markle has a lot to say on the issue of tabloid journalism considering she and Prince Harry are suing the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline website over five articles that published portions of a handwritten letter she wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
The near 25-minute YouTube video of Markle and Ramshaw’s conversation also touched on the importance of reflecting diverse stories across racial and gender lines.
Markle, a California native, shared her concern about untruthful journalism in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the U.S. being in an election year while movements for racial justice are being pushed forward after the death of George Floyd.
In particular, Markle stressed the importance of voting and hearing “women who are in marginalized communities” given that some won’t be “accounted for” because of how difficult it has been to fill out the census.
Additionally, she hopes “nonpartisan” news outlets will inspire younger generations who want to make a political or social impact.
“The power of one person’s influence in the media” can “shape an entire movement or way of thinking or even an ideology or an identification if women have their voice heard as equally,” Markle remarked while referencing how British journalist Charles Hand coined the word "suffragette" in 1906, which was used as a point to illustrate that influence can shape the world.
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Markle’s interview with The 19th was published four days after the release of “Finding Freedom,” a biography that details the royal exit of her and Prince Harry.
The pair married in May 2018 and welcomed a son a year later, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their departure from royal life at the beginning of the year – shocking most of the world.